1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable cover or a lid having a variable outside diameter for covering food and the like, and more particularly to an adjustable food cover wherein the outside diameter of the cover can self-adjust to cover food on different sizes of pots, pans and plates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Covers and lids for pots and pans are generally formed of one size to suit a particular pot or pan. In many cases these are flat covers or lids suitable for pots and pans, but not necessarily suitable for covering food on plates as they do not provide space for the food. Plate covers used to keep food hot are generally of one shape and have vertical or sloped sides with a flat or domed top to contain the food on a plate. These covers are not adjustable for different sized plates.
Splatter shields are known for food. One example is shown by Vineisus in U.S. Design Pat. No. 381,863 issued Aug. 5, 1997. Such a shield design for food has a ring of leaves or vanes hinged to a top disc attached to a hand mixer. The leaves move up and down together to cover a bowl. The outside diameter of the shield does not vary substantially as the leaves have little curvature and thus do not form into a dome like shape.
Colanders and vegetable steamers which have a ring of overlapping moveable leaves hinged to a base are known. Examples of these are shown by Millard in U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,117 issued Jan. 26, 1954 and by Feld in U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,939 issued Feb. 13, 1979. Both of these patents relate to steamers or colanders but do not provide a cover that is adjustable to suit different sizes of plates, pots or pans.
In is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable lid or cover having a dome like shape, wherein the outside diameter can be varied to suit different sizes of pots, pans or plates. Such a cover may be used while cooking food in frying pans to prevent splatter and also to retain moisture in the food. The cover self-adjusts to fit into different sizes of pots or pans. Furthermore such a cover may be used over plates to keep food warm and again to prevent moisture from escaping from the food. The adjustable cover of the present invention has a variable outside diameter and comprises in combination a circular nonporous top member with a plurality of apertures adjacent a peripheral rim of the top member. The apertures are evenly spaced apart in a circle concentric with the peripheral rim with each of the apertures having a tongue projecting radially outwards therefrom. A number of non-porous substantially trapezoidal vanes are provided extending down from the peripheral rim of the top member, the vanes being curved and circumferentially overlapping in a ring to form a dome like shape. Each of the vanes has a tab projecting upwards into one of the apertures and resting on the surface the top member, the tab has a slot to engage the tongue in each of the apertures and hold the vanes to the top member in a circular overlapping ring arrangement. Adjacent vanes contact each other and the tongue and slot form a hinge for each of the vanes so they move up or down together retaining the circular overlapping ring arrangement, thus varying the outside diameter of the cover.
In other embodiments the cover includes a handle which may be insulated and also the cover includes vanes and top member formed of nonconductive material to retain heat underneath.